Automatic machine for molding pie shells from dough



2 Sheets-Sheet l G. R. M. MILLER AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR MOLDING PIEVSHELLS FROM DOUGH Filed 0012. 9, 1947 JQ', M Llef Oct. 27, 1953 G. R.M. MILLER 2,656,798

AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR MOLOINO PIE sHELLs FROM OOUOH Filed Oct. 9, 1947 2sheets-sheet 2 Patented Oct. 27, 1953 AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR MOLDING PIESHELLS FROM DOUGH 1 Graeme Reid Mercer Miller, Stepps, Glasgow,

Scotl and Application October 9, 1947, Serial No. 778,874 In GreatBritain July 10, 1947 4 Claims. l

This invention has reference to machines for moulding the shells orcases for meat pie, fruit tarts and the like, and has for its object toprovide a machine for this purpose by which the doug-h surplus to eachpie shell being moulded is automatically returned to form part of thedough to be used in making the next pie shell.

According to the present invention a machine for moulding the shells orcases for meat pies, fruit tarts and the like comprises one or morehollow male dies, means for feeding the dough to the interior thereof,means by which the dough so fed can be permitted to extrude to theexterior thereof, a co-operating female die for each male die, means forimparting a relative reciprocating movement to the male and female diesto mould the extruded dough therebetween, means which, prior to thecompletion of moulding operating seals the opening or openings throughwhich the dough is extruded, opens a passage or passages to permit thereturn to the interior of the male die or dies of dough surplus torequirements, and which thereafter closes said passage or passages totrap between the dies the dough necessary for forming a shell or case,and means for ejecting the moulded shell or casing from the female die,or each female die, when the cao-operating dies are separated.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described withreference to the annexed drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of one end of the improved machine, thedies being shown in the open position.

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof but showing the dies in the closedposition.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a pair of co-operating male andfemale dies, the part on the left hand side of the vertical centre lineshowing the dies in the open position and the part on the right handside thereof showing the dies when nearly in their closed position, and

Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line 4 4, Figure 3` In thedrawings a is a trough, b the hollow male dies and c the female dies,all supported by a frame or casing d. There may be any desired number ofaligned male and female dies the number depending on the desired outputand the frame or casing is of a corresponding length. The trough, whichmay be detachable, extends substantially the length of the frame orcasing.

Extending from end to end o-f the upper part of the machine is a drivingshaft e which through bevel gearing f and f1 drives a series of verticalfeed worms gf. Each worm extends through the trough.a, and a hopper hwhich terminates in the interior of a male die b. The hoppers h arecarried by a supporting bar h1 which is secured to the frame or casing.The upper ends of vertical end guide rods h2 pass freely through saidbars h1. The bottom of each male die is provided with a number ofthrough slots b1 which can be closed by grid bars il carriedA by aninner sleeve i. Said sleeves, which fit within the male dies, arecarried by tongue plates i2 which in turn are carried by a. bar i3extending from end to end of the machine and loosely tted on the endguide rods h2. The bar i3 is provided with a series of alignedcylindrical openings in which the male dies are fitted. Helical springs7 bear on said sleeves and on thrust rings i4 at the upper ends of themale dies and urge the sleeve downwards.

The annular wall of each male die is provided with a number o-fcircumferentially arranged through slots 7c by which the interiorthereof is placed in communication with the exterior, said slots beinglevel with the top of the shell or case to be formed by the dies ashereafter explained. The sleeves are provided with slots i5 which canregister with the slots k. v

The female dies are carried by a bar m likewise extending from end toend of the machine and to which the rods h2 are secured, a verticalreciprocating vertical movement being imparted` to the bar 1n` and thedies carried. thereby by means of a rod n operated by a crank, cam orother suitable mechanism. The bottom o of each female die is capable ofa relative vertical movement and carries a downwardly extending stem, p,said stems being arranged to co-operate with a xed cross bar q extendingfrom end to end of the machine. A delivery table r is provided toreceive the moulded shells or cases and if desired a conveyor may beprovided to receive the mouldedshells or cases.

The dies, both` male and female, are electrically heated as is commonpractice in hand operated machines for moulding dough to form shells orcases for meat pies, fruit tarts and the like.

In describing the operation of the machine it will be assumed that thedies are in the open position as shown in Figure 1 and the left handside of Figure 3 and further it will be assumed that the trough isfilled with dough.`

The driving shaft e through the bevel gearing drives the worms g soIthat the dough is fed to the interior of each male die b and is extrudedthrough the slots b1 to adhere to the underside of said dies. The bar mis then moved upwards 3 and carries with same the dies c, the bottoms olof the dies being picked up by the internal annular ribs c1 of the dies.As the female dies move upwards they co-operate with the bar i3 andthereby raise the sleeve i carrying the grid bars il so that thel latterseal thev slots b1 in theV bottoms ofjthe male-clics.` Further the doughin excess of requirements trapped between the dies is then forcedthrough the slots lc and slots i5 regnistering therewith into theinterior of the male dies. Thereafter said slots; 1c, are,` sealed off.;by.;

the further upward movement of thesleevesasoi` that the trapped extrudeddough is, mciuldcdv to, the shape defined by the spacev separating thefemale from the male dies. Thereafter the bar fm. is moved downwardscarrying withV iti the.: female dies with the moulded shells'l orcas-ings:`

therein. The stems p contact with the flxd. cross bar q so that thefurther downward movement 0f the bottoms off the female dies. isarrested. This occurs when the bottom ofthe shells or casingsaresubstantially' at the same level as the table. The female diesl however;continue their downwardv movement' until their upper ends are. slightlybelowthef bottom carrying the shells or casings. The shells; orY casings canv then be pushed' on to the tableV or carried by thelconveyor; andi the female dies, which.4 have now reached their initiallpositiomare ready to commencel their upward;V movement to .repeat theaforesaid cycleV of Y operations.

The downwardi movementof the sleeves 'LV is. elccted by the helical;compression'v springs- 7 which are placed under compression during theupward movement, of the sleeves.

The rotation ofthe feedworms is not continuous, butisintermittentg'their rotation ysynchronizing with the opening to theclosing of; the slots in the, bottoms` of," the male dies.

Igclaim:

1. A machine for mou-minera Shells embody.- ing at least one hollowmale. die; ofia formation: correspondingfto the interior ofthje pieshell'to be. moulded; the. basepfsadgdie having at least one through'slot' therein andg'the. wall" being i also provided l with a throughslot v thereina sleeve slidable. within Said' di teureorer.andovertheslot. in itsu base and; to., cover andi uncoverthe inner. endj; ofj theysaid'slot theY wallpa female diev of afolmtoll. Corresponding to the.exterior of the mould; feedgmeans by wl'iich dough y fedto the` interiorof the.. male die extruded*KA through the slot-ia itsbasa-wheuuncovered: animee-.11S to `move. the female die andthev sleevewith respectto the ma1.,e.-d.eso thatthe .S1011 in thebase of the, maledieF` is sealed;7 the extruded? dough moulded between. the dies/.to formthe p ieshell and. the. Surplus. extruded.. dough. .returnedo theinterior Of the maleV die, ,tliro11ghV the slot' in the wall thereof:

2, `A machine for moulding pie shells embodying at least onehollow maledieofa formation corresponding to the interior. of the pie shell'to bemoulded,`the base of said-die having at least one through slot thereinAand the wallY thereof also provided with at least; one throughslottherein, a sleeve slidablewithin said' die-touncover and cover the slotinrits base andV to cover and uncover Ythe inner end of thesaid slot,inA the wall,spring meansby whichthe sleeveis urged downwards so thatAthe slot' the base ofthe die isnOrmally openiafemaledieofa formationcorresponding to the exterior of the mould, feed means by which doughfed to the interior of the male die is extruded through the slot in itsbase when uncovered, and means to move the female die and the springloaded sleeve with respect to the male die so that the slot in the baseof the male die is s eal'ed, the excrucliedV dough-moulded between thedies to form the pie shell and the surplus extruded dough returned tothe interior of the male die through the slot in the wall thereof;

3E, Amachine for moulding pie shells embodying at least one hollow maledie of a formation corresponding-to the interior of the pie shell to bemoulded, the base of said die having at least one; through slot.Ytherein and the wall thereof also provided with at least one throughslot therein, a sleeve slidable within said die to uncover and cover theslot in lits base and to cover and uncover the inner end of the saidslot in the wall; springr meansv by` which theI sleeve-is-urgeddownwards so that the slot'inthedie -is normall`y open; a female die-ofa formation corresponding to; the exterior of theL mould; said femaledie having a base with downwardly extending stem and capable of avertical movement relative to the; wally of thedie afixturetoco-operat'efwith said stein; feedI means-by whichdoughfed tor-theinteriorv of the male die-is-extrudedthrough the slot in its base whenuncovered; and-1meansY to move thefcmaledie -andlthespring lOadeds-leeVewith respect-to the male diesoi-that the-slot in the base ofthe malediel `is sealed theextruded dough moulded between-themes toform the pi'eshell and the surplus'- extruded doughfreturned to the interiorv of'themal'edie-l througlr thefslot in; thewallthereof; bliebe-operation of;vthe stem with the xture onthereturn -movement cfs the female diearrestingu the movements iof the base ofi said: die toejectthe-pieshell.

4. A-machinefor-mouldingfpie shellsf embodying` ata least" one hollow'male" die of a formation corresponding-to the-interiorof: thepiesh'ellto be moulded; said?r dieehavinga'rthroughlslotin thebase` thereofV and"alsoafv through slot Lin the wallthereof-meansfbyV whiclrdoughcaribe-forced through' said slot-in:A the-base,- a female ydie off aformation' corresponding to theA exteriorJ oi"-` the mould', meanstomove the dies'into matingA engagement and thereafter v`moveJ them:lapart and means by which theslot in the Vbase of'fthe'male die isclosedand,s the said-1 slotf-irrl thewall l thereof opened whenthediesare'm'ovedintoymatingengagement so that the dough istrappedrbetween andL moulded the dies andC the excessdough returnedthrough-'saidslotin-the'walliof the male die to\ the; interior of; the'malev die` toform-part ofVv the douglr; subsequently extruded throughsagidjdie-to formthe next-- pie' shell;

